Identify the Aircraft
Separating Bullshit from History (opinion)
Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine didn’t have much to do with NATO. Putin thought of NATO as a paper tiger without the ammunition to fight for a week, which turned out to be true. His ambitions where Ukraine was concerned had more to do with stabilizing the decreasing population of Slavs in Russia, gaining a strategic foothold, and taking the country’s industry and natural resources. (Emilie, above, agrees with me, but she’s my daughter, so there you are)
NATO only expanded because the former Soviet Socialist Republics feared that the Russians would return. The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine proved those concerns to be justified. Nobody including me thought that the Ukrainians could stop the Russian Army and bleed it white (even with US/NATO support). The Russian Army turned out to be as big of a Potemkin Village as the toothless NATO forces.
The Map above does not include Sweden and Finland which joined NATO thanks to Vladimir Vladimirovich. NATO is rearming, and the lesson is not lost on China.
Magnet fishing? Say it isn’t so…
And a little Sabaton to round things out.
No, I’m not going crazy. However, I am more or less snowed in. I’ve been out digging the trucks out so 4×4 and chains will get me to the state highway. But I live in ARIZONA and global warming should have fixed this problem for me. Al Gore is a liar — but you knew that.
Vickers Wellington?
Yes. It was a workhorse early in the war, basically a baby Lancaster.
Wow, I usually read but not comment. I learn an immense amount from the experience and knowledge of you/your readers. Appreciate all the insights.
I was in grade school during the war, and fascinated in aircraft. I remember seeing pictures of a Vickers Wellington with a huge ring slung under its ,wings. The ring diameter was similar to the length of the fuselage.
I’m guessing the ring was some kind of detection equipment, perhaps for submarines, but I have no idea what the technology was.
Thanks for the memories Larry.
John
Magnetic detection, basically a flying metal detector. It worked.
Given we started this talking about the Wellington, it flew with a magnetic field generator to detonate magnetic mines.
I think that Russia’s attitude regarding expansion dates back to the days of Muscovy in the 16th century, if not before. The proto-Russian state did not have much in the way of naturally defensible frontiers. To preserve the Russian “core” territories, the princes (and later tsars) of Russia wanted to expand their borders as far away from that Russian core as possible. If they could expand to a defensible frontier, that was all well and good, but if not, the distance between the border and the core territories was in itself a sort of defense. This became a cultural imperative in time, transcending the formation of Russia, the imperial period, the Soviet period, and lasting on into the 21st century now.
What say you, folks? Is this a viable thesis, or am I just bloviating?
You nailed it, Chuck.
The Warsaw Pact gave Great Russia defense in depth. To the east, Siberia did that but the development of oil and minerals on or within a day’s drive of the Chinese border created a sense of unease. China’s seizure of Russian territory east of the Urals would solve a lot of their problems. Russia expended its Siberian Army in Ukraine. It’s a lot like the units they have facing Norway. Most of the equipment was destroyed in the Ukraine campaign and they have dismounted infantry where once were mechanized forces.
Always thought that as the border creeps ever outward, each generation would regard the last generation’s annexed land as today’s motherland. And so the border continues to creep outward generation by generation. I suspect that, with this attitude, once they engulf the entire planet they would start regarding nearby stars as potential aggressors that need to be taken over as well. Unchecked growth, kind of like cancer.
From what I’ve read, Ukraine is too valuable to Russia to allow autonomy. Putin couldn’t lose control, so without being a part of the club, war was the option he chose. It’s unfortunate for Ukraine. The corruption, and war, is leading to destruction of the country. Eventually, the citizens will again be subjected to the whims of those that can’t care less about liberty.
Ukraine was autonomous and still is. We can argue whose sphere of influence it was edging toward. Crimea wanted to be part of Russia but the Russian annexation was wrong as was the other annexations in the Donbas area. I use the word “wrong” because Ukraine was a sovereign country, not a Russian satellite and the territorial seizures violated standards of national territorial integrity.
Is Ukraine more or less corrupt than the USA? We can argue regional corruption patterns but the DC Swamp, The Biden Crime Family, and the Clinton Global Initiative represent corruption at the very highest levels.
Magnet Fishing…Curious the police connected the pistol to an unsolved murder.
Sabaton – Wolfpack…brilliant. How come I haven’t watched Greyhound? Putting that on the weekend list.
I love this post for its banner photo of the DLC going into action with our Hon. Col., inspiring, what? As is Sabaton, obvs.
On point, will Poland expand eastwards into a diminished Ukraine? Volyn must and, in my opinion, should be set right. And let’s not forget Trianon (lovely hotel today). Surely Romania deserves a piece of the action.
In the meanwhile, the Ruskies insist on producing shells and tanks.
Title graphic:
As the might of Numenor grew in the Second Age and the Kings of Men became estranged from the Firstborn, the Royal line began to rule under an Adûnaic title, using the prefix “Ar-“ to denote kingship, whereas previous kings had ruled under the Elvish “Tar-“. This practice endured for centuries until the era of Bezos when da Quean repented after the visit of Galadriel (who totally NEVER went to Numenor after sharing a raft with Sauron). After Galadriel’s non-canonical visit, da Quean ruled as Tar-Laquisha.
PS didja know the Harfoots were “darker” so hence Lenny Henry? And if you object to that, you’re racist. Sir Lenny is against racism and “hurtful stereotypes”. As can you see from his previous work, here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1vWOPu5onVM
PS by “dark” JRRT almost certainly meant like Catherine Zeta-Jones is “dark”. FFS.
“..unprovoked invasion of Ukraine”
No, we started this whole fustercluck in 2014.
At some point, the 95% of the worlds population that does NOT want to be completely controlled by the (Former) USA, will simply walk and we are going to be unable to stop them.
Maybe we should spend more time working with the rest of the world instead of trying to control them with what’s quickly becoming apparent useless debt and fiat stupidity.
They’re already trading in “other” currencies.